Container truck, gas cutter & spray paint: Thrissur heist MO similar to TN and Andhra Pradesh cases

Police nab container truck used by ATM robbers from Namakkal in Tamil Nadu; Police handcuff one of the accused. Photo: Special arrangement

The modus operandi of the gang arrested in connection with Thrissur ATM robbery has been found similar to previous cases recorded in Tiruvallur in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh involving the accused hailing from Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. In the Tiruvallur case registered in 2020, the gang had operated using a container truck targeting ATM kiosks. The gang had also used a gas cutter to break open the ATMs and in some cases they fled the scene with the machine itself and later broke it open in a secluded place. They were wanted in ATM robberies in Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh and also in Hyderabad.

In August 2024, Anantapur police arrested an inter-state gang of theives who were wanted in ATM thefts. The accused hailed from Haryana and Rajasthan. They had also used a spray paint to mask surveillance cameras during the robbery and stolen Rs 29.8 lakh.

Even the timing of theft was similar to that happened in Thrissur. They chose early morning hours - between 2 am and 4 am for theft. The gang had rented container trucks from Bengaluru and then put their car inside the container to move in search of their targets.

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